‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’ Poster Introduces Harold the Homicidal Scarecrow

Good/horrifying news for anyone who ever read the night-ruining short story “Harold” from Alvin Schwartz‘s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and wondered what that titular homicidal scarecrow would look like in real life. CBS Films released the first poster for the live-action film based on Schwartz’s collection of spine-tinglers, and right up front is my dude Harold, looking very much like he’d enjoy peeling the skin off a farmer or two, the scamp.

Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro is producing the project, for which he also provided the story. Trollhunters writers Dan and Kevin Hageman handled the script, while André Øvredal—who helmed the fantastically spooky The Autopsy of Jane Doe in 2016—took over directing duties.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how the crew adapts this one. Schwartz’s 1981 book practically created a new generation of horror fans, whether they read it or just glimpsed one of those illustrations that completely, 100% should not have been marketed toward children. Nobody genuinely loves the things that go bump in the night more than del Toro, and he’s chosen a spot-on fellow monster-lover in Øvredal to bring this bad boy to life. (If you’ve never seen Trollhunter, track it down.)

Seeing as how Super Bowl LIII is airing on CBS, there’s a pretty good chance a Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark trailer drops to deeply traumatize a whole new generation of people who are just trying to watch sports. Keep an eye out.

Inspired by one of the most terrifying children’s book series of all time, SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK follows a group of young teens who must solve the mystery surrounding sudden and macabre deaths in their small town.